- present participle of invite.
inviting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inviting
Explanation
Inviting things are very appealing. Your host's inviting smile makes you truly feel welcomed and even a little bit charmed. On a hot summer day, nothing looks quite as inviting as a cool, sparkling swimming pool, and when you come inside after walking home in the snow, a cozy fire in the wood stove is also quite inviting. Something inviting promises comfort or pleasure. The word comes from invitation, from the Latin invitare, "invite, treat, or entertain," which originally meant "be pleasant toward."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most of the Iranian artists left their instructions generously open-ended, inviting the interpretations and transmutations of their U.S. peers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Some of these spaces can be intimidating for younger fans, and Laufey says this year was all about making these rooms, some of her favorites, inviting to her audience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Part of that means inviting viewers to see her lifestyle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Organisers have started a global campaign inviting LGBTQ+ creatives to design the official logo outline for the bid.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
She also sent Anthony a letter, which she wanted her to sign, inviting Douglass to speak at the upcoming National Woman Suffrage Association meeting.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
